The Demonic Nature, Let It Out
by Radiance Dreamer
Summary: A human girl fell from the distant future, married an Oni, helped him concur all of Japan. It was a long war, but the Oni clans now roamed the streets, living side by side with the humans. Decades later, peace was disturbed. Foreign demons were invading their land and the clansmen of Oni needed help. They turned to their old research of the Ochimizu. To convert humans into Oni.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any characters of Hakuouki and the Anime itself. I might have destroyed the whole plot of such wonderful Anime/game, but I hope the creators do not mind my decisions for writing this fanfic.

**Author's note**: Story contains OCs and is alternate universe. There may be OOC since this world is entirely different. People have different kinds of relationships by now, I think. Yeah, even I don't know how it will turn out. …Stay and see and find out?

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**Chapter 1**

In Edo, the grand palace of the Oni Emperor stand majestically under the bright, cold, full moonlight. Soldiers are at every corner, patrolling the area silently. The flames of the torches guide everyone all together. If one flame goes out, they would know trouble had brew.

One room is not in need for guarding though.

It is the great Oni Emperor's bedroom. In the dark room, the Oni Emperor has just begun to undo a woman's waist sash on their large bed. A faint light of the moon leaks through the blinds of the window, revealing the Oni Emperor's blond hair. His red eyes follow his fingertips that caress the woman's lips. And he smirks, moving down to lick her neck and to her ear. She flinches and her hands gently touches his arms as he gently bit her ear.

Her eyes snap over to the window. A figure leaps through the blinds, hovering above the couple and lands on the ground. The moonlight fills the room and the intruder appears to be a man cover in thin black armor. He wears a strange mask with no eyes or mouth. The only revealing part of him is his short silvery hair.

As quick as sound, the mask man dashes for the long dresser on the left side of the room. His right hand reaches for a necklace that is hanging with the other jewelries. But then the sound of the blade slows down his speed.

The katana of the Oni Emperor thrust out towards the intruder. Just as the Oni Emperor feels he had aim for the neck, the mask man ducks with his right hand on the ground first. Before the Oni Emperor can change the flow of his katana, the mask man pushes himself into the air with his hand and leaps to the ceiling.

He easily takes a necklace in the process, knocking the things on the dresser. He then kicks as soon as his feet make contact with the ceiling. He flies across the room, but then he notices the man's woman, who has a shorter katana, is waiting where he will soon land.

"Chizuru," the Oni Emperor glares when he looks back. He moves his feet to rush over to them.

The mask man uses his left arm and it meets the blade of the woman name Chizuru. She narrows her eyes, feeling his strength easily overwhelming hers. Without thinking, her hair turns white and her eyes turns golden. Two horns grow on her forehead.

"Humph," the intruder pushes himself against her blade and she slashes out to him. Her blade has cut the necklace, but the twelve beads do not fall for they are tie with a knot at each end of the beads.

Chizuru's eyes lay on the jade beads that are still intact with the red thick string. '_He's after the Twelve Jaded Zodiac?_' she thinks to herself. Each jade bead takes the form of different animals.

From behind, the Oni Emperor strikes with his katana. However, when the mask man lands on his feet again, he quickly jumps towards the door. He knocks it down with his left shoulder and then he runs off in the open-air hall.

Afterward, he hears some things falling to the ground with a clink. He looks in his hand and sees the red-stringed necklace is now loosening up. Grabbing it more securely, he realizes there are only four jades left. Without much care he leaps up towards a roof.

A fire beacon rose in the sky. Soldiers start to shout for an intruder.

The Oni Emperor walks out the door and looks where the mask man had gone. He moves really fast for a human. Then his eyes looks to the floor of the hall, seeing eight jade beads scatter on the ground.

"Kazama, are you unharmed?"

The red-eye Oni smirks when he glances back. Chizuru walks to his side and looks up at him with concern. She has already returned to her original form. He touchs her face, "And are you unharmed?"

The roars of the soldiers alert everyone. "Fire now!" a voice shouts. The intruder catches sight of incoming arrows and takes a long jump off the roof just to crash through the paper window in front of him. He lands in an empty room and continues escaping in the inside.

"Where did he go?!"

Through a couple of doors, the mask man locates the voice and jumps through another window. He lands right behind a troop and in front of a single man who seems to be leading the archers. Without mercy, the mask man stabs through the leader's chest with his bare hand. As the man cough up blood, some of the archers' looks back with frighten expressions. But then the intruder has already run out of there.

"Don't let him get away! Capture him alive or dead!" someone shouts.

From roof to roof, the mask man easily lost the bodyguards. He jumps on the ground to keep a low profile as much as possible, dashing by a large garden pond. Then he notices a dark figure ahead of him and stops in his tracks with his feet in the water.

The man who stands before the intruder has with blue eyes and purple hair. He stood calmly with his katana in his hands, as if he is going to draw it out. He narrows his eyes at the mask man and then takes a step forward.

"You got the nerve to break into this place," someone's voice from behind the mask man chuckles. The intruder looks over his shoulders. There is another man with a katana who simply keeps a distance from him. He has green eyes and brown hair. "And breaking in means that you're a threat to the land," the brown-hair man smirks. He draws his katana and points at the mask man.

"State your name," the purple-hair man demands, getting ready to draw his katana.

The mask man moves to dash toward the purple-hair man, raising his hand to attack. When he is about to go for the neck, the purple-hair man draws his katana in a flash and cut the mask man's right arm. However, it has not cut all the way through just as the intruder dodges. The mask man makes a jump over him as soon as he feels the pain in his bleeding arm and hurries to escape on the roofs again.

"Don't let him get away, Hajime-kun," the brown-hair man says, running through the pond as water splashes on his clothes.

"I know," Saitou Hajime narrows his eyes. He runs to a large rock, jumping on it and lands the roof. He looks around and cannot see where the mask man has gone. "He's not up here anymore. Souji, you check down there and I'll keep a lookout up here."

Chuckling, Okita Souji runs inside the building.

Saitou hurries and jumps from one building to another. '_How could he jump so high_?' He thinks to himself. He remembers seeing the mask man from afar, which is when the archers have stop shooting. '_Humans rarely have that kind of ability… unless he isn't human_.'

In the rooms, Okita finds no trace of the intruder. "Tsk," he walks back outside and the soldiers are gathering around. They appear to be confused and press on to search. "Looks like he escaped…" Okita runs his hand through his hair in frustration.

{*~*}

The next morning, Okita is sleeping on a futon soundly. The door to his room slides open. Saitou stands there quietly, thinking of how he must wake his friend up. "Oi, Souji."

Opening his eyes slowly, Okita turns his head away from the sunlight. It takes only a moment for Okita to feel awake. "…So what did the Oni Emperor say?" he questions. "He must be mad at all of us for not guarding his home very well."

"For the time being, the Oni Emperor simply asked the guards to make wanted posters," Saitou replies in monotone. Okita sits up, rubbing the back of his head. Saitou also says, "And it seemed the intruder took a part of an item… He may be back for it."

Sitting up with his back to Saitou, Okita smirks. "I wonder what he was trying to steal from the Oni Emperor's room?" he sneers. It is such a bold for the trespasser to make.

"…He was after the Twelve Jaded Zodiac," Saitou informs him.

Okita blinks and turns around in his seat. "You mean the odd necklace given to Yukimura Chizuru?" he inquires, slightly glaring. "Kondou-san gave it to her as a wedding gift. Who on earth would want such a thing?"

"There may be a history behind it," Saitou says, staring at the wall. "And we were both ordered to head back to Kyoto, Souji."

"Why?" he asks.

Saitou glances to him, "Because it was Kondou-san who brought the gift to Yukimura Chizuru… The Oni Emperor instructed us to look up where the Twelve Jaded Zodiac came from. The reason may be that it came from a foreign land."

"Oh, I see," Okita slowly nods. "There had been attacks at the seaside of Japan recently."

Reaching for a small bag that hangs from Saitou's waist, he put it between the two of them. "The Oni Emperor given us the three out of the eight pieces that were still in his possession," Saitou notifies.

Confuse, Okita can only question, "Why did he give us three?"

"So the enemy will not be able to get what he wants if the beads were separated," Saitou answers, his eyes sharp and serious. "When we see Kondou-san, we're to give it to him. It's best to keep a few and lay low for now. Until we find out more information about it."

"Sounds reasonable," Okita smiles. "This would mean the Shinsengumi could finally be of use to the Oni Emperor, yeah?"

Saitou nods, "Therefore, we must safely return to Kyoto."

"Let's depart right now then," Okita says. He groans a bit in pain as he got up on his feet. "It's always an honor to be doing dangerous jobs after all." With a thought, he questions, "If we run into this… mask man, can we kill him?"

Standing up, Saitou looks at him seriously. "The Oni Emperor only mentioned to capture him alive," he informs.

"Oh well, that's too bad," Okita snickers.

After a few hours, Saitou, Okita, and their ten men set out of the palace to take their leave. They all walk with their horses behind each man. There is no trouble as they march through the city of Edo. Eventually arriving at the main gate that leads to the outside world, there is a long line of people wanting to leave the city. So the Shinsengumi waits in line as the soldiers search through the baggage of the people before letting them out through the gate.

Okita and Saitou feel someone is watching them but there is no one suspicious in sight. Okita smiles at Saitou to forget about it as they finally are able to walk pass the soldiers guarding the main gate. They all climb up on their horses and take the main road together with their men.

A young woman in a white kimono, with some gray flowers as designs, stands in a bedroom with an open window on the second floor of an inn. She is watching the Shinsengumi from afar, but no normal human will even be able to see that distance.

Her black long hair is tied up in a high ponytail and her hair length reaches down to her lower part of her back. The color of her eyes was brown and her eyes stare at the main gate. After a while, she turns towards the bed to get some rest.

{*~*}

There are two soldiers guarding a compound's gate with spears in their hands. The houses in the compound are a part of the palace, but more remote with peace and quiet.

Upon hearing footsteps, the guards both stand up straight as young man appear at the gate. "Nagumo-sama!" the guards greet as the young man simply walk pass them. They both notice Nagumo Kaoru is wearing a displeased look.

Just right ahead of the path to a house, Nagumo Kaoru slams the door open. "Chizuru!" he calls with absolute concern.

In the room, there are three seats on each side of a carpet that led up to two bigger chairs in the center. Kazama is sitting in the big chair with Yukimura in the other. The people in the room looks to the doorway and Nagumo can only show his distress for Yukimura.

"Kaoru," Yukimura smiles. She is dress in a glorious golden kimono and headdress with beads. Her lips are soft pink and her skin is pure whiteness.

Nagumo practically stomps up right to her and grabbed her arms. Making standing up, he checks for any injuries. "Are you okay?" he asks, lowing his voice now.

"Hey, she's Kazama's wife now," a voice chuckles. "Know your manners, Kaoru."

Nagumo turns his gaze to a man with blue hair, which is tie into a high ponytail. He looks over to a taller man with red hair, whose hair is tie in low ponytail. Letting Yukimura back in her seat, Nagumo now looks at the smirking Kazama. "Who was the man who barged into your room last night?" he demands with a deadly voice. "I'll kill him."

"No one knows," the blue-hair man snickers, answering for the Oni Emperor.

"I'm not talking to you, Shiranui," Nagumo says without looking at him.

Shiranui laughs the tone of the young man's voice off and nudges to the taller man next to him. "And we're supposed to be working with him, Amagiri?" Shiranui grins. "This would be interesting, huh?"

A soft sigh escapes Amagiri's lips and he says nothing.

Kazama glances at them and his eyes looks out the opened door. He sees a running figure of a female with long brown hair. With a chuckle, he leans back on his chair. "Finally, everyone has arrived," he takes a cup of wine from the table into his hand.

Everyone stares out and a young woman steps right in. Her hair length nearly reached to her knees and is not bound by a hair tie. "Abe Kiyoko is now present," she dust herself and tries to look compose. The color of her eyes is silver.

"Oh?" Shiranui smirks over to the Oni Emperor. "With the Omnyouji here… This must mean it's serious business."

Even Nagumo is quiet and he moves to the side and Abe shifts along with them. All eyes are on Kazama now, who sets the emptied cup away back on the table. Yukimura glances to her husband and wonders what he has planned.

"Have a seat first," Oni Emperor gestures with his hand. Everyone does as they are told and waits. "I summoned all of you here because an intruder entered the palace and escaped without a scratch."

"What did he look like?" Nagumo inquires with a light glare. He really wants to kill the man who alarms Yukimura.

Kazama recalls the presence of the mask man. "He was dress in a light-weight black armor," he began explaining. "He wore a black mask. The only trait we might be able to track is his silver hair. He is as tall as Chizuru."

Amagiri then speak, "I heard he was after Yukimura's necklace. What was it?"

"The Twelve Jaded Zodiac," Yukimura replies softly. "It was a gift from Kondou-san."

"Haha," Shiranui smiles widely. "And this guy had the balls to actually waltz into the bedroom with both Kazama and Yukimura there? That necklace must be priceless then!"

"It's strange how he decided to make his move when I was in the room," Kazama slowly smirks. He leans his cheek on his right fist, which his elbow is on the arm of the chair. "He risked his very life to get it, but left with a part of the necklace. It's as if he wanted to do that on purpose… but for what reason?"

Abe blinks causally, "You think he went to steal it on purpose?"

"I would think so," Yukimura says, her hand gently rubbing her chin. "I remember when I moved my blade to attack him, it almost seemed like he wanted me to cut the necklace. The some beads fell in the hall and he never looked back."

"Maybe he knew he was no match for you two and the guards," Abe thinks out loud.

Kazama then says, "If the Twelve Jaded Zodiac was priceless, he might come back for it… But if he doesn't, it means he simply had another plan the moment he came." Kazama taps his hand on the table, which a small bag lay on.

"But," Abe is confused. "What if he's just waiting out there for the perfect time to return? We may never know if he truly had another plan."

Kazama smiles and his gaze are secretive.

Snickering, Nagumo looks over to Kazama. "Nevertheless, we will have to keep our guard up either way, am I wrong?" he smirks at the others.

"I have already sent Okita and Saitou to do a little research of where they found the Twelve Jaded Zodiac," Kazama informs them. "Meanwhile, I have a mission for each of you. So listen carefully."

Abe is the only one who nods in respond.

Kazama's eyes look over to Amagiri and Shiranui. "I want the two of you to search for any foreign traders around Kyoto," he tells them slowly. Then his eyes to Nagumo, "As for you, I want you to gather information brokers and see what they know about the foreign attacks that had been happening."

"That has nothing to do with the intruder, don't you think?" Nagumo raises his question. "You don't suppose the intruder is from a foreign country, do you?"

"The twelve zodiac," Yukimura slightly tilts her head. "They were symbols of China first, which is why we believe it may have something to with the attacks from foreigners. The timing of the attacks started a couple months ago and may not be related to the Twelve Jaded Zodiac…" Nagumo stares at his sister quietly and she nods to herself. "But I think it's our first lead."

Nagumo smirks with confidence, "Heh. If that's what you think, then I will go gather information." The others have a pause and Nagumo points to Abe beside him, "Now, why is she doing here?"

Abe gives him a disapproving face as Kazama orders, "Abe, I want you to track any suspicious foreigners with that left eye of yours. Perhaps even our people."

She nods, "Alright. Then I'll start with Kyoto first."

"If you find a demon, track their background," Kazama stares at her with complete demand. "I'm expecting to hear from you first."

She grins, nudging Nagumo, "You can count on me, Kazama." Nagumo scoffs at her with no words.

The Oni Emperor then takes the small bag on the table and empties it out onto his left palm. Five jade beads fall out. There is a tiger, snake, pig, rat, and goat shaped jades. Keeping the rat for himself, he throws the four extra jades to the others in front of him. Nagumo catches the tiger jade, Abe receives the pig, Shiranui with the snake, and Amagiri has the goat.

"Keep those close to you," Kazama orders them strictly. "And do not lose them."

"Alright then," Shiranui stands up with an eager smirk. "Off to work then, Amagiri."

Yukimura smiles, "Please take care everyone."

Abe waves and left before the others. While Amagiri and Shiranui also leaving out the door, Nagumo gives his sister a smile and also left after the others. But then one guard runs through the gate and rushes pass the four and right into the room.

He kneels down and pants. Then he quickly reports, "T-The First Demon Princess from China requests an audience, my lord!"

"Oh?" Kazama smiles with amusement. "Demon Princess? She's here in the palace in this moment?"

"Yes, my lord," the soldier bows his head down.

Shocked, Yukimura glances to her husband. She sees him smirking with interest and he slowly gets up from the chair. "Kazama, dear…" she stands up and touches his arm. The look on his face only means one thing.

"Not to worry," Kazama met her gaze. She looks at him with the same unease expression. His hand gently caresses her cheek and he smiles with no hint of fear. "Let us go and see what this Demon Princess what, shall we?"

Unable to talk it out with him, Yukimura's face turns rather dry. He is always the same kind person, no matter where he goes. She takes his hand and hugs it against her face. His fingers softly touch her warmth. "…Very well," she tells him quietly with her eyes close. If anything happens, at least she will be there to protect her beloved.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any characters of Hakuouki and the Anime itself. I might have destroyed the whole plot of such wonderful Anime/game, but I hope the creators do not mind my decisions for writing this fanfic.

**Warnings**: Story does NOT contain Lemons. I can't write scenes like that, but only things leading up to it. Nothing more, nothing less. So if you came for lemons, this isn't the story for you. If you do not like OCs, this story isn't for you either. I do NOT make Mary Sues & Marty-Stu/Gray-Stu, but you can judge on that yourself.

**Author's note**: I guess I should say there might be OCs pair up with the characters of Hakuouki. At least one or two. If I like it, I'll make it happen. If you like it, let me know what you think. This isn't about romance, but will contain bits and pieces of it. I don't know yet.

And I apologize for any mistakes you see. English is not my first language.

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**Chapter 2**

In the massive hallway, guard by many soldiers, a lone young woman walks by herself. Each soldiers note her with cautious since she claims to be the First Demon Princess of China. And as every one of them knows, the foreign demons that have been attacking Japan come from China. The strange thing is, she looks rather young, dressing in the white kimono with gray flowers on it. Her long black hair, tie in a high ponytail only makes her look rather childish, even if she wears a serious expression.

The two large gates are open and the young woman can see short stairs to the throne where a man and woman are sitting. It must be the Oni Emperor and his wife. However, there is a long white curtain that hangs from the ceiling. It is to keep the faces of the Oni Emperor and his wife from being known to outsiders.

The young woman continues to walk. As soon as she passes the gate, she took a few more steps to the center of the room and looks up at the Oni Emperor. Around her are counselors and other high-class status people who work personally for the Oni Emperor.

Yukimura is sitting by Kazama's side on the wide throne and his arm is around her while he enjoys a cup of wine. The two of them studies the demon woman down in front of them first. "You're the First Demon Princess from China?" Kazama inquires with slight disbelieves. Even if the curtain blocks their view, the curtain is made especially for him to see the others quite clearly from his side.

The demon woman slightly bows and then keeps her head high. "Forgive me, but I'm not really a princess anymore," she starts to confess. "I simply faked it so I can see and talk to you."

"How dare you!" a man in the room says in disgust. "Do you not understand what you're doing in the presence of the Oni Emperor?"

"On you knees!" a man behind her demands.

Kazama's chuckle interrupts them and they all close their mouths. "Then… who are you?" he inquires while he has interests in how she is speaking Japanese so fluently.

"I'm just a demon who works independently…" she replies, introducing her real identity. "I'm the Demon of Dreams… born in China, of course."

Yukimura blinks and glances to Kazama curiously. He then asks, "What is your name, Demon of Dreams?" A pause. The demon lowers her eyes to the ground and her hand reaches to rub her chin. He smirks, "What's the matter?"

Closing her eyes as she thinks deeply, she murmurs, "I'm trying to translate my Chinese name into Japanese in my head… let's see… dreaming… Yume?" She opens her eyes and her decision is clear. "My name is Yumeru."

He snickers at her strange behavior. "So you lied to me and said you were a princess," he says. "Tell me what is your reason for coming into my domain."

"I am here to tell you about those attacks that have been happening in your country," she explains, trying to be as polite as possible. "The current Demon Emperor of China is behind it."

Obviously. Kazama sneers, "Tell me something I don't know already."

"The Demon Emperor turned my home and the entire land into a living hell," she lowers her eyes and glares at the ground. "Not only he concurred all of China, he also wants world domination. Now, he had set his sights on Japan as his first step. Simply because he noticed the raise in power here."

"Why are you telling us this?" Kazama inquires her. "Are you betraying your own kind?"

"An Emperor like him does not deserve to live," Yumeru hisses. Relaxing her tense muscles, she looks up with determination. "I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm here to ask you to let me help you. I have no one to turn to, no one with absolute power. That is why I'm seeking your help. This way, I can meet with them head-on."

Yukimura removes Kazama's arm away and stands up. "You're seeking revenge?" she questions. Kazama glances to his wife and let her be.

"This isn't about revenge," Yumeru responds strongly. Her hand touches over her heart. "My own kind died and many abandoned me to care for themselves. And you have no idea what you're up against." Yukimura is quiet and says nothing. "For some reason, the Demon Emperor is after the Twelve Jaded Zodiac. I have heard that you, Yukimura-sama, currently own it. I want to warn you that he will no doubt strike very soon to get his hands on it."

"There was someone who invaded our home," Yukimura informs her. "Perhaps he has already made his move."

"No, that wasn't him or his men," Yumeru notifies. "That was me last night." The men in the room are all in alert and whispers loudly. Before anyone moves, Yumeru tells them, "I thought I can get the Twelve Jaded Zodiac… but I also wanted to see for myself how strong this country was."

Kazama chuckles, "And what did you learn from your daring encounter with us?"

She pauses and do not dare to offend him in any way. "I do not mean to test any of you," she lowers her voice. "My intensions are clear. I mean no harm. I just want my country to return back to its former glory. There are still others who are orphans and are crying for help in China. I trust this country will help me win, and at the same time, this may help you fight back."

Yukimura believes the demon is speaking the truth. She slowly turns to face Kazama, who smiles at her gently. "Kazama?" she looks at him with a concern face.

"First," Kazam stands up and walks forward. "Yumeru… you said you were not a princess anymore… what is your background?"

She grunts and replies, "My father was the former Emperor of the Demonic Realm… but then the current Demon Emperor stole my father's place and invaded the Human Realm…"

"Really?" Kazama narrows his eyes. He never has heard of another realm before. He smirks and asks, "If you failed to protect your own country, what makes you think you can protect this one?"

Yumeru is at loss of words and her face turns pale. It is true. But what can she do?

With a light glare, Yukimura shakes her head at him. "Kazama, she's simply joining hands with us," she reasons with him. He looks at her with amusement. "Also, if she came from China, and is from a royalty herself, perhaps she will be able to aid us when the unknown occurs."

"What are you suggesting, Chizuru?" he queries her as he faces her. "Are you saying you want to accept this demon's help?" She stares at him and he reads her soft expression carefully. The two of them are clear on the situations outside of Edo. Their lands are being invaded by foreign demons and who knows where they are hiding?

"I believe an extra help will not harm us," Yukimura smiles.

He scoffs with a nod. "Very well," he agrees, looking away from her beautiful eyes.

Kneeling down, Yumeru lowers her head and gratefully says, "Thank you so much, Oni Emperor." Tears filled her eyes. If he has not accepted, she will have no idea what to do next. Finally, the Heavens are on her side.

"First things first," Kazama rises his voice. Yumeru stands up and keeps her head high. "This country is not as strong as you think. The population only consists ten percent of the Oni clans." Yumeru's eyes widens in shock. "Do you think we can stand a chance?"

Her eyes waver. "That… can' t be," she murmurs. "If the Demon Emperor strikes seriously, this country won't be able to last a month. …Fuck that asshole!" Everyone in the room blinks in complete silence. Yumeru covers her mouth and looks up at the ruler uneasily. "Sorry, that was… not professional of me," she bows quickly.

"So, you were acting?" Kazama grins.

"Er…" Yumeru flattens her eyes. She is never good at formalities, but gives it her best. "Sorry… but everything I said is true. Please don't let my bad mouth—"

"I like you the way you are," Kazama chuckles. "I despise people who pretends to be someone else."

Playing with her long hair, Yumeru chuckles nervously. "Understood…"

Yukimura softly laughs and waves her hand. "Come up here," she offers.

"…What?" Yumeru squints her eyes.

"If we're going to work together, how can we talk face to face?" Yukimura smiles as she speaks only of honesty.

Yumeru takes a step back. "No, it's not necessary," she says.

Kazama then tells her, "If Chizuru gave you the word, do it."

"Okay," Yumeru nods with a defeated sigh. Her body disappears for a second and she reappears on her knees in front of the Oni Emperor and his wife beyond the white curtian. She keeps her head down and smiles. "Thank you again…"

The men down the stairs are staring in shock. Kazama is also quite stun, wondering if this demon is hiding anything else.

Stepping closer, Yukimura holds out her hand to her. "Stand and show me your face," she quietly keeps her hand out. Yumeru slowly takes her hand and holds it for a moment. Standing up cautiously, her eyes meet Yukimura's. "…You have beautiful eyes," Yukimura giggles.

By appearance, the two of them looks like they are at the same age. Yumeru smiles at the warmth Yukimura's aura. "Thank you," Yumeru rubs the back of her neck.

"Yumeru," Kazama walks by his wife. The Demon of Dreams tries not to look at him directly while he inquires, "What kind of an ability was that just now?" An Oni can also disappear and reappear like she did, but there is something different about it.

The demon looks at him directly now. His red eyes do not wish for her to lie and she smiles confidently. "Are you aware of yourself when you're dreaming?' she asks. Both Kazama and Yukimura stares at her blankly. "Have you ever control anything in dreams?" They still say nothing. Yumeru then answers, "My dreams are able to become a reality now. But I still have yet to put it to my full potential. I may have lived over a hundred years, but I am still consider as young and inexperienced."

That kind of power is dangerous to have around. But Yumeru is on their side for a moment. Kazama will make sure her actions will not be suspicious as he still has his doubts for her. Then again, if her father only rules the Demonic Realm, perhaps she has a gentle nature. He will rely on that thought for the moment. "Follow me," he turns away and walks off to a door to the left side of the wall.

Yukimura tugs on Yumeru's hand gently and the two of them trail behind him. "I have one more question, Yumeru-chan," Yukimura glances at her.

'_Chan_?' she blinks at the wife, nodding.

"If you are the Demon of Dreams, what does that make your father?" Yukimura questions. "Does he not hold the same power as you?"

The light in Yumeru's eyes darkens. She looks away with pain and covers it up with anger. "…My younger sister betrayed us," she replies humbly. "That is all."

Yukimura pauses her breath and feels regret to bring such a matter up. "I'm sorry," she says.

"You didn't do anything," Yumeru still do no look at her. "It's fine."

Through the hall, Kazama glances back at the two with no words. Soon arriving in another room, there is only one man bury with books, papers, and strange equipment in the room. "Koudou-san," Kazama calls out for the man across the room.

A baldhead man turns around from his work and smiles. "Ah, you're here," he gestures with his hand. "I just completed the second last of the stages." While the three of them walks in further, Koudou notices a new face. "My, who do we have here?"

"Her name is Yumeru, a demon from the west," Yukimura smiles. "She is here to assist us, father."

Yukimura Koudou observes Yumeru as soon as they approach him. She nods and he smiles, "Welcome, Yumeru."

"We need to test the Ochimizu now," Kazama quickly gets to the subject.

"Is it ready, father?" Yukimura inquires, looking over his paper work. There are tubes in shapes and sizes. All of them have red liquid in them and appear as though it is alive. It feels eerie just to look at them.

"Ochimizu?" Yumeru looks at the Oni Emperor. "Something like the Elixir of Immortality?"

Kazama looks at her and replies, "Not quite." Yumeru looks confuse and walks away from them as her eyes studies the strange liquid. "The Ochimizu was originally made to find immortality by the humans. But they failed many times."

"After many years," Koudou now explains. "I have researched this myself and I added a few of my own ideas. The only result… was rather terrifying, yet satisfying."

Yumeru frowns at the sight of the Ochimizu and turns to look at them. "Why are we here?" Yumeru inquires.

While Yukimura seems trouble, Koudou responds, "The effects of the Ochimizu… can turn a human into an artificial Oni."

As surprising as it sounds, Yumeru gives the Oni Emperor a look. "Are you saying…?"

"It is a disgraceful… but I have no choice," Kazama stares at her coldly. "So I will only allow those who will sacrifice themselves for this experiment… and have them fight the foreign demons on the behalf of this country."

Yumeru's eyes flutter in confusion. It is so mess up. "Is it dangerous to drink them?" she asks, worry for the victims who will drink them.

"When a human consumes it, there is only a slight chance they can remain sane," Koudou tells her. His expression never changes. Only calm and collective. "But yes, it is quiet dangerous."

Kazama takes a small sample of a tube and lifts it to his eye level. "I… have been thinking to let a certain group take these… to have their men test it out," he informs slowly. It is all risky. "Even I am not certain of the results when it is not fully developed. But time is running short."

"Who is going to agree to do take that?" Yumeru curiously asks. "What group do you intend to have them test it out?"

Yukimura looks up and stares at her. "To the… Shinsengumi," she replies to her quietly.

"Never heard of them," Yumeru says truthfully.

"Serisawa has already agree to this, fully knowing very well of these experiments," Kazama turns to Yumeru. He throws the small sample to her and she catches it with ease. "You will go and meet with him. Take a few samples with you. That is your first assignment."

She seems hesitant and stares at the red liquid. "…F…Fine," she nods, looking at him directly.

"Chikage," Yukimura reaches for his arm to get his full attention on her. When he met her calm gaze, she requests, "Please, let me go as well."

Koudou blinks, "But Chizuru…"

"I cannot allow that," Kazama rejects her offer. "I do not want you to be harm."

Yukimura refuses to look away from his eyes. "Chikage, listen to me," she grips on his arm tighter. "I also love this country. I do not wish to idle by and watch our people do the dirty work."

"And I do not wish for you to dirty yourself," Kazama narrows his eyes at her. He touches her face and glares about a thought. "I cannot let anyone see the wife of the Oni Emperor."

"Then, let me disguise myself," she says, her eyes fill with fortitude. "I will claim to be Kaoru's twin brother." Yumeru stares at them back and forth, trying to make sense of their conversation. "No one will ever suspect me to be the Oni Emperor's wife."

Kazama sneers and touches her chin. "Do you really believe you can pull it off?" he inquires her. Even if her eyes show no hesitation and no concern, he only wishes for her to be by his side. Nothing more.

"Kazama-sama," Yumeru raises her hand. He looks at her without turning his head. "I'm not sure if this would make you feel better… but I will protect her with my very life."

"That's not enough," Kazama faces to the demon. Though he is slightly intrigue by her offer. "Even if Koudou-san also goes with her…"

Koudou smiles, "I can go as well." Kazama glances back to him. "If I stay with the Shinsengumi, I can still do more research in the Ochimizu, am I wrong? Perhaps this may be the best way to get results faster and to improve them."

Feeling the pressure of the three in the room, Kazama growls quietly and looks back at Yukimura. "…Do you really wish to do this, Chizuru?" he asks.

She nods with a happy smile, "Yes, I do."

With a long thought, Kazama closes his eyes. When he opens them, he tells her, "Fine. You can disguise yourself, but the Shinsengumi must know your identity. I would want them to know their place and also protect you at the same time." Yukimura smiles with joy, but then he grabs around her waist and his face nears her. "But I want at least one more night with you," he whispers with a smirk.

Yumeru sees his hand moving down to Chizuru's bottom and quickly looks away.

"Y-Yes," Yukimura blushes and then slaps his hand. But his hand remains where it was and caresses her. "Ka-Kazama…" she hisses shyly.

Koudou fakes a cough, "Then I will start packing. You ladies may just rest for the night. We will depart tomorrow morning."

Smirking, Kazama frees Yukimura. "Remember, reveal you identity only to the Shinsengumi, but tell them that your name will be Yukimura Kaede. Koudou-san's second child," he highly suggested.

"…Why Kaede?" she inquires, tilting her head a little.

He chuckles, "I believe our first child should be named that." She blushes and slightly hides her face by looking to the right. "But when the time comes, we'll name it together."

With a pause, Yukimura smiles up to him. "…Yes," she nods.

Before finishing their topic, Kazama smiles, "In a few days, I will head to Kyoto for a meeting. Please do be careful and take care of yourself until I get there."

"I will," Yukimura nods, assuring him. "And you must be careful on your way there as well, Kazama." He nods and takes her hand into his own. "I don't want to lose you." She leans her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes slowly.

Yumeru folds her arms to her chest and cannot help it but blush. '_What a lucky girl_,' she thinks to herself, quite envious.

{*~*}

Close to the seashore stands a wooden, tall watchtower. A city is just a mile from it. There are six men with over-use spears who are keeping on the outlook for signs of trouble. And danger. In their homeland, they are lacking men and are worry for their family and friends. Even women are on the watch and they cover the ground together with bows and arrows. In their minds, they remind themselves to be strong and do their job well. Because their lives depend on it.

One man suddenly catches sight something in the horizon. "Hey, there's something out there!" he shouts, waving his hand for his friends to come close by.

Before any of them all turn to look, a blue lightning is cast and flies from far. Within blink, the blue lightning aims for the tower and utterly destroys it, causing it to burn into flames. The women shout for an emergency and ready their arrows forward.

A laugh rung in the air. The blue lightning has not vanished and simply moves between the collapsing tower and the troop of women. Static sounds scratches the stone road and the blue lightning gathers together quickly, turning into a form of a young man.

His long blue hair flies around his face, untie, and his shining bright blue eyes looks down at the women. A strange blue markings near his left eye. He wears a similar pale blue kimono-style with a trace of a dragon pattern on the back and the sleeves. The untie knots of the shirt reveals his collarbone and a bit of his chest. Underneath his kimono-like style is another simple black layer of clothes. Around his waist wraps the medium thick white strings with blue tassels at the ends. His gloves are black and he wears a silver ring on his middle finger of his left hand, which he also wears a round silver bracelet. His black pants are tucked into his dark blue clothed boots.

The women do not back away from the lightning that surrounds him. "Fire now!" a woman quickly commands.

As the arrows fires on time, the young man with long blue hair smirks. His right hand claws and the blue lightning are channel into his palm. Just a second more, he then throws the ball of lightning to the women, who continue to stay brave.

The ball of lightning destroys the incoming arrows and explodes between the groups of women when it makes contact with the road. There are no screams. Only the sound and wind of the explosion sung in his ears. "Really, all they needed is me to get rid of these pest," he grins confidently and shakes his right hand to settle the blue sparks. He glances back and snickers at the tidal wave that is coming over to the whole city. "Trying to take all of my preys, Demon of Water?" he turns to the tidal wave, creating another ball of lightning in his right hand.

Within a flash, he throws another ball of lightning and it flies toward the tidal wave. As soon as it strikes through it, the tidal wave breaks and scatters. The large splash of water only hit the shore and it moves over to the young man. "Hey, how dare you stop me!" a female's voice rages childishly.

He smirks and looks away while a watery form of a young woman appears. She stays in her water form and pouts when he starts to ignore her. The sound of a blade interrupts their short moment and they both look up. A flying sword, a red handle with a silver straight blade, soars over them and heads for the city. The blue-hair man glares disapprovingly. "Oh no, you don't!" he turns into blue lightning and rushes toward the city in an instant.

The water demon frowns and quickly moves to go after them. "The first one to get the most kills will give out the orders for the rest of the mission!" she shouts the prize of their little game.

The city soon turns into chaos. People screams and echoed far. The wind carries their cry of help to the ears of a girl in a hidden village. She is staring out the window and the chill runs down her back. "…They're too strong," she whispers with horror.

"Sen-hime…"

The girl turns to a woman in purple clothes, resembling a ninja. She is on one knee and looks up at the girl with distress. "Kimigiku…" Sen closes her eyes. Her hands tremble and she murmured, "…We need more assistance." Though the wind also carries a bit of hope, Japan needs more strength to fight back the ruthless foreign demons. Sen opens her eyes and let courage take over. "Did the heads of the Oni clans respond yet?"

Kimigiku nods, "It has already been prepared… We should depart to Kyoto in the next few days."

"Good…" Sen is slightly relieved. "There's still a bit time left…" Her eyes return to the window and she reaches to touch the breeze. It feels heartbreaking and her chest tightens. "Please… just hold on a little longer…"

* * *

**Author's note**: OMG Sorry if the story is so slowwww...! It was slow for me to write this chapter! They talk too much. But this was what I got anyway.

Now I want some romance to happen! But I shouldn't rush either... Oh, and thanks for reading! Leave a review if you have any comments. Or PM me.


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